Organic idea not taking off as planned
By Bret Hayworth | Posted: Sunday, October 05, 2008
Dolf Ivener of Sioux City is one of the few farmers in Woodbury County who raise cattle or crops organically, without fertilizer, pesticide or hormone inputs. He's looking to get up to 10 head of cattle and then sell them for meat once they reach 800 pounds.(Staff photo by Tim Hynds)
SIOUX CITY -- Rob Marqusee has grand dreams.
He envisions Woodbury County as an organic agricultural enclave on traditional Midwest grain and livestock turf. He talks of the money to be made from selling strawberries and eggs and would love to see organically produced soybeans take over more acreage.
During his 3 1/2 years as Woodbury County rural economic development director, Marqusee has:
* Announced the launch of Sioux City Sue organic product labeling.
* Announced that Woodbury County led the nation by becoming the first local governing body in the U.S. to offer property tax incentives to producers who convert from conventional to organic farming.
* Beamed when Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, moved down the chow line of an organic restaurant in Sioux City.
* Raved about the 2007 announcement of an organic soybean processing plant that would operate across the Missouri River in Dakota County, Neb. Even though he couldn't land it in Woodbury County, he said, there'd be spillover benefits for the Siouxland organic movement.
But so far, his organic vision hasn't taken hold in a big way, and some wonder if Marqusee is leading the Woodbury County Rural Economic Development Department effectively .
Among them is Ken Gard of Lawton, a Farm Bureau member for decades. "There is nothing wrong with doing organics," Gard said. "The problem is, (Marqusee) is trying to make it his meat and potatoes."
In March 2005, brand new on the job, Marqusee said he planned to hit rural Woodbury County coffee shops to find out what types of business citizens wanted the county to pursue. But in September, Marqusee said the effort had been fruitless. County residents didn't offer any suggestions on direction, and "no one asked for organics."
And although 187 people attended a November 2005 organic growers conference hosted by Marqusee, only two farmers are now taking advantage of county property tax rebates for converting to organic methods.
Nevertheless, seeing the high prices that organics command, Marqusee quickly pursued the organic farming angle and frequently says it's a niche market Woodbury County residents should consider.
It's not a short-term fix, he insists, but a long-range way to redevelop Iowa's lagging rural economy and address the loss of family farms. Marqusee cited U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics that show Woodbury County had 1,930 farms with an average size of 268 acres in 1975, compared with 1,140 farms with an average size of 387 acres by 2004.
"We need to bring a new generation of farmer back," he said.
Marqusee said there is a need for all kinds of economic development but that if new rural opportunities such as organic farming don't advance, the towns around Sioux City will be nothing more than bedroom communities that provide wage earners for city jobs.
Are the premiums there?
Dolf Ivener, a fifth-generation farmer, switched to organic methods out of concern about the health effects of pesticides and fertilizers -- what he terms "poison."
He grows hay and has four breeding cows, with a target of 10. He plans to sell the calves after they reach 800 pounds, as fully organic meat.
He feeds some of his hay to the cows and sells the rest for feed, although he said the market for organic hay is mostly in eastern Iowa. The shipping costs are prohibitive, he said, so he sells his hay locally to big feed lots that "don't care" that it's organic.
"So, I'm not getting the premium for organic," he said.
Still, Ivener looks optimistically for increasing local demand.
"There is a tremendous premium to be had," he said. "I am totally for what Rob is doing."
Small budget, unanswered questions
In fall 2004, right before Democrat Marqusee suffered a narrow loss in a bid for a Woodbury County Board of Supervisors seat, the board created the rural economic development director position, earmarking $500,000 over five years to fund the department.
In the first full year, Marqusee operated on $137, 462, including his $54,327 salary. The current fiscal year's budget is $170,391, and Marqusee's most recent salary was $62,323.
George Boykin was board chairman when the supervisors hired Marqusee, a former Santa Barbara, Calif., attorney. Boykin said he had some concerns about Marqusee lacking a farm background and working in a rural-oriented job but said Marqusee's outgoing, communicative manner has meshed well with county farmers.
But the Farm Bureau's Gard said, "He is costing more money than what we are getting back in the present time. ... When he was hired, it is my understanding he was supposed to go to the small town businessmen and if they needed some help in expanding, some paperwork done, whatever it was under his domain that he could offer, he was supposed to do that."
In the wake of an April fire that destroyed the only grocery store in Moville, Mayor Jim Fisher asked whether Marqusee could help write grant applications or pursue other means to reopen the store. The supervisors said no because the position is geared to working for development in unincorporated portions of the county. There was some discussion about asking county mayors if their towns would willingly pay a fee to use Marqusee's services, but no decision was made.
Marqusee said the organics focus makes the most sense, since he has little in his arsenal -- no revolving loan funds at his disposal -- to push development in unincorporated Woodbury County.
"I am being asked to develop raw, unimproved farmland that has no industrial, residential or commercial infrastructure. If anybody has an idea, I'm open to it, but I don't think there is one. I think I have taken the only tack that is possible," he said.
Boykin said Marqusee admittedly wasn't given bountiful resources by the supervisors when the department was created.
"He has done well with what he's had to work with. ... He doesn't have a huge budget," Boykin said. "He has the ability to do more."
Marqusee said in late September he's adjusting his work to increasingly aid the local Farmers Market -- the only market operating after the August closing of Firehouse Market -- in connecting sellers and buyers, including restaurants.
"The Farmers Market will be bigger and better than ever," Marqusee promised.
Boykin said he supports the organic push but said Marqusee has also worked on other areas. He said Marqusee aided the county Planning and Zoning Commission when a dairy was proposed near Lawton earlier this year and that he works with the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. His work with the chamber is by necessity confidential, Boykins said but predicted some good for the region will result.
Marqusee: Be patient
In addition, Marqusee said, the county's efforts have gotten attention in national and international news articles. He testified in April 2007 before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture and spoke to a governor's task force in Illinois as that state was considering organic-geared legislation that was enacted in August 2007.
But Marqusee said he's not concerned about whether his position will be extended beyond the five-year commitment.
"What's the most important thing to me is that we get the community support for what we're doing," he said. "If I have to leave after five years but I've been successful in creating a community of growers and farmers and new farmers moving in, then I'll be happy."
He said the early 21st-century definition of economic development is government handing out big financial incentives and 20-year tax abatements funded by taxpayers. It's easy, he said, to point to a "big bucks" business or plant built with such incentives and say that economic development has been delivered.
But he asked, "As a matter of public policy, is that money well spent?"
"People in the county look at how many jobs did I get and how much tax base did I create," he said. "If success is the number of (organic) conversions, the only thing I can say is, just wait -- this is a long-term plan."
What's Marqusee's message?
He's pushing organic products as a moneymaking niche for Siouxland farmers, saying the earnings opportunities are "just astronomical."
Who's listening?
Kim Alexander of Smithland: Has converted 160 acres to organic crops and received $1,539 in county tax rebates.
Dolf Ivener of Sioux City: Has two farms with 30 acres on each for organic hay; has received rebates of $1,026 for 2007 year and $513 for the first half of this year
Marqusee said three more farmers have applied for rebates for next year.
What do critics say?
Farm Bureau member Ken Gard of Lawton: Organic crop production is limited to a few acres in lowlands and tough to do on a large scale because it's labor intensive. Too few consumers are willing to pay high prices for organic products.
What about the costs?
Iowa State University economist David Swenson: Conventional corn growing costs in 2006 were $440 per acre; organic was $394. Soybeans cost $318 an acre for conventional, $306 an acre for organic. Not applying chemicals saves money.
Does it pay?
Swenson: Organic farming earnings ripple through the local economy at a factor of 136 percent. Marqusee said that means an annual earnings/labor value of $41,000 a year generates $55,488 through spending.
He envisions Woodbury County as an organic agricultural enclave on traditional Midwest grain and livestock turf. He talks of the money to be made from selling strawberries and eggs and would love to see organically produced soybeans take over more acreage.
During his 3 1/2 years as Woodbury County rural economic development director, Marqusee has:
* Announced the launch of Sioux City Sue organic product labeling.
* Announced that Woodbury County led the nation by becoming the first local governing body in the U.S. to offer property tax incentives to producers who convert from conventional to organic farming.
* Beamed when Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, moved down the chow line of an organic restaurant in Sioux City.
* Raved about the 2007 announcement of an organic soybean processing plant that would operate across the Missouri River in Dakota County, Neb. Even though he couldn't land it in Woodbury County, he said, there'd be spillover benefits for the Siouxland organic movement.
But so far, his organic vision hasn't taken hold in a big way, and some wonder if Marqusee is leading the Woodbury County Rural Economic Development Department effectively .
Among them is Ken Gard of Lawton, a Farm Bureau member for decades. "There is nothing wrong with doing organics," Gard said. "The problem is, (Marqusee) is trying to make it his meat and potatoes."
In March 2005, brand new on the job, Marqusee said he planned to hit rural Woodbury County coffee shops to find out what types of business citizens wanted the county to pursue. But in September, Marqusee said the effort had been fruitless. County residents didn't offer any suggestions on direction, and "no one asked for organics."
And although 187 people attended a November 2005 organic growers conference hosted by Marqusee, only two farmers are now taking advantage of county property tax rebates for converting to organic methods.
Nevertheless, seeing the high prices that organics command, Marqusee quickly pursued the organic farming angle and frequently says it's a niche market Woodbury County residents should consider.
It's not a short-term fix, he insists, but a long-range way to redevelop Iowa's lagging rural economy and address the loss of family farms. Marqusee cited U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics that show Woodbury County had 1,930 farms with an average size of 268 acres in 1975, compared with 1,140 farms with an average size of 387 acres by 2004.
"We need to bring a new generation of farmer back," he said.
Marqusee said there is a need for all kinds of economic development but that if new rural opportunities such as organic farming don't advance, the towns around Sioux City will be nothing more than bedroom communities that provide wage earners for city jobs.
Are the premiums there?
Dolf Ivener, a fifth-generation farmer, switched to organic methods out of concern about the health effects of pesticides and fertilizers -- what he terms "poison."
He grows hay and has four breeding cows, with a target of 10. He plans to sell the calves after they reach 800 pounds, as fully organic meat.
He feeds some of his hay to the cows and sells the rest for feed, although he said the market for organic hay is mostly in eastern Iowa. The shipping costs are prohibitive, he said, so he sells his hay locally to big feed lots that "don't care" that it's organic.
"So, I'm not getting the premium for organic," he said.
Still, Ivener looks optimistically for increasing local demand.
"There is a tremendous premium to be had," he said. "I am totally for what Rob is doing."
Small budget, unanswered questions
In fall 2004, right before Democrat Marqusee suffered a narrow loss in a bid for a Woodbury County Board of Supervisors seat, the board created the rural economic development director position, earmarking $500,000 over five years to fund the department.
In the first full year, Marqusee operated on $137, 462, including his $54,327 salary. The current fiscal year's budget is $170,391, and Marqusee's most recent salary was $62,323.
George Boykin was board chairman when the supervisors hired Marqusee, a former Santa Barbara, Calif., attorney. Boykin said he had some concerns about Marqusee lacking a farm background and working in a rural-oriented job but said Marqusee's outgoing, communicative manner has meshed well with county farmers.
But the Farm Bureau's Gard said, "He is costing more money than what we are getting back in the present time. ... When he was hired, it is my understanding he was supposed to go to the small town businessmen and if they needed some help in expanding, some paperwork done, whatever it was under his domain that he could offer, he was supposed to do that."
In the wake of an April fire that destroyed the only grocery store in Moville, Mayor Jim Fisher asked whether Marqusee could help write grant applications or pursue other means to reopen the store. The supervisors said no because the position is geared to working for development in unincorporated portions of the county. There was some discussion about asking county mayors if their towns would willingly pay a fee to use Marqusee's services, but no decision was made.
Marqusee said the organics focus makes the most sense, since he has little in his arsenal -- no revolving loan funds at his disposal -- to push development in unincorporated Woodbury County.
"I am being asked to develop raw, unimproved farmland that has no industrial, residential or commercial infrastructure. If anybody has an idea, I'm open to it, but I don't think there is one. I think I have taken the only tack that is possible," he said.
Boykin said Marqusee admittedly wasn't given bountiful resources by the supervisors when the department was created.
"He has done well with what he's had to work with. ... He doesn't have a huge budget," Boykin said. "He has the ability to do more."
Marqusee said in late September he's adjusting his work to increasingly aid the local Farmers Market -- the only market operating after the August closing of Firehouse Market -- in connecting sellers and buyers, including restaurants.
"The Farmers Market will be bigger and better than ever," Marqusee promised.
Boykin said he supports the organic push but said Marqusee has also worked on other areas. He said Marqusee aided the county Planning and Zoning Commission when a dairy was proposed near Lawton earlier this year and that he works with the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. His work with the chamber is by necessity confidential, Boykins said but predicted some good for the region will result.
Marqusee: Be patient
In addition, Marqusee said, the county's efforts have gotten attention in national and international news articles. He testified in April 2007 before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture and spoke to a governor's task force in Illinois as that state was considering organic-geared legislation that was enacted in August 2007.
But Marqusee said he's not concerned about whether his position will be extended beyond the five-year commitment.
"What's the most important thing to me is that we get the community support for what we're doing," he said. "If I have to leave after five years but I've been successful in creating a community of growers and farmers and new farmers moving in, then I'll be happy."
He said the early 21st-century definition of economic development is government handing out big financial incentives and 20-year tax abatements funded by taxpayers. It's easy, he said, to point to a "big bucks" business or plant built with such incentives and say that economic development has been delivered.
But he asked, "As a matter of public policy, is that money well spent?"
"People in the county look at how many jobs did I get and how much tax base did I create," he said. "If success is the number of (organic) conversions, the only thing I can say is, just wait -- this is a long-term plan."
What's Marqusee's message?
He's pushing organic products as a moneymaking niche for Siouxland farmers, saying the earnings opportunities are "just astronomical."
Who's listening?
Kim Alexander of Smithland: Has converted 160 acres to organic crops and received $1,539 in county tax rebates.
Dolf Ivener of Sioux City: Has two farms with 30 acres on each for organic hay; has received rebates of $1,026 for 2007 year and $513 for the first half of this year
Marqusee said three more farmers have applied for rebates for next year.
What do critics say?
Farm Bureau member Ken Gard of Lawton: Organic crop production is limited to a few acres in lowlands and tough to do on a large scale because it's labor intensive. Too few consumers are willing to pay high prices for organic products.
What about the costs?
Iowa State University economist David Swenson: Conventional corn growing costs in 2006 were $440 per acre; organic was $394. Soybeans cost $318 an acre for conventional, $306 an acre for organic. Not applying chemicals saves money.
Does it pay?
Swenson: Organic farming earnings ripple through the local economy at a factor of 136 percent. Marqusee said that means an annual earnings/labor value of $41,000 a year generates $55,488 through spending.
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Rob Marqusee wrote on Oct 6, 2008 9:13 AM:
Steven Jones wrote on Oct 5, 2008 4:33 PM:
Mr. Marqusee has been the biggest stumbling block on why the Tri-State Equine Center has not been built yet in Moville at the County Fair Grounds. Mr. Marqusee was adamant about wanting it to go to Lawton in a flood plain South of the Convenience Store. And he has told each of the organizations involved different things and has confused everyone. He is not doing the job and needs to go. The Tri-State Equine Center could have been already built if Mr. Marqusee had not been involved. "
Rob Marqusee wrote on Oct 5, 2008 11:14 AM:
I am sure that Local Farmer has tried organic - but has he contacted other local organic farmers in the region? Has he worked with ATTRA? Has he talked with a large organic farmer in Carroll County that has been farming 1000 acres since the mid-60's?
I don't get why people do not understand that the way to revitalize our rural communities is through promoting small farms producing food (not necessarily organic). Just look what has happened in our rural communities since industrial ag. Contrary to Local Farmer, you can make a good living "on few acres" - try doing that with conventional ag! "
Local Farmer wrote on Oct 5, 2008 1:35 AM: